Use Shuttles For Free Beach Concert

More than 30,000 people are expected to flock to the south end of Fort Lauderdale beach Saturday evening for a free Super Bowl concert and fireworks sponsored by the NFL.

City officials are warning drivers to brace for big delays on all roadways on the barrier island, including State Road A1A, and on streets leading to the beach, such as Las Olas Boulevard and Southeast 17th Street.

Don't even think about trying to park on the beach unless you live or work there.

The concert will be held at Fort Lauderdale Beach Park (formerly South Beach Park), which is next to the Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel (formerly the Yankee Clipper).

Concert organizers and the NFL purchased all the spaces in the Fort Lauderdale Beach Park parking lot, and most other spaces on the barrier island.

Attendees are urged to park in downtown Fort Lauderdale and take free shuttles to and from the concert site, said city spokesman Matt Little. About 75 buses will run continuously between downtown and the beach from noon to midnight on Saturday.

The shuttles are free, but you will have to pay $10 to park at any of the eight garages downtown, including:

City Park Garage, 155 SE Second St.

Sun Sentinel, 200 E. Las Olas Blvd.

Bank of America, 212 SE Second Ave.

One River Plaza, 305 S. Andrews Ave.

200 Brickell Centre, 200 Brickell Ave.

Las Olas Centre, 350 E. Las Olas Blvd. and 450 E. Las Olas Blvd.

Broward County Garage, 151 SW Second St.

County Lot II, 6 SW First St.

Once parked at any of the garages, follow signs to the shuttle loading zone at 150 SE First Ave., on the east side of the Broward County Public Library. Shuttles will take riders to the Southeast Fifth Street drop-off on the beach.

Gates for the concert open at 4 p.m. The concert begins at 6 p.m. Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Barenaked Ladies and O.A.R. are scheduled to perform. Fireworks are scheduled for 9:40 p.m.

Southeast Fifth Street on the beach will be closed all day Saturday.

From 9 p.m. to midnight on Saturday, the easternmost lane of northbound A1A will be closed between Fort Lauderdale Beach Park and D.C. Alexander Park at Southeast Fifth Street to accommodate shuttles loading passengers to take them back downtown.

Attendees also can take the Sun Trolley to the beach. It will operate its two regularly scheduled routes linking downtown, the convention center and the beach, running every 30 minutes. Two additional trolleys will run these routes to reduce waits and handle more riders.

Shuttle and trolley maps are available at fortlauderdale.gov.

Michael Turnbell can be reached at mturnbell@SunSentinel.com, 954-356-4155 or on Twitter @MikeTurnpike.